The Dark Horse
by MermaidMidna
Summary: In the quest for Blair Waldorf's heart, there are three contenders. There's the safe and obvious choice, the inevitable and magnetic one, and the widely unexpected. My interpretation of the last five episodes of season 4.


**AN: First of all, I just wanted to say that I'm so incredibly excited for Gossip Girl's return in two days! Even if we don't get Dair this season, I'm confident that they will come back as a stronghold in Season 5. This is my interpretation of the last five episodes (the Dan and Blair parts, at least) based on the massive amounts of promos and spoilers we've been showered with. Hopefully you all enjoy what my brain has managed to concoct. **

**Secondly, I would just like to thank the massive amount of people on tumblr who have been supporting me with this fic as I (slowly but surely) wrote it. Your enthusiasm definitely pushed me to keep writing, even when things got tough. I have met so many wonderful Dair shippers, and I'm so excited to share this with you. I truly have so much love for this fandom.**

**Please review if you have the time! I'd love to hear what you have to say. Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

><p>"Daddy? It's me, Blair. I'm taking the next flight to France, and I'm coming to visit you and Roman this summer. And I have some news. Daddy… I'm engaged."<p>

She clicks the 'end call' button on her phone, dropping it into her purse with shaking fingers. She holds up her left hand and examines the shining diamond on her ring finger. She can't help but smile though her heart is beating rapidly and her head is dizzying by the second. She gathers up her belongings and begins to rummage through her closet, hastily pulling out any sundresses, skirts, and blouses she can find. She shoves them in a large suitcase along with her undergarments and a few pairs of shoes. Normally she would have Dorota do this for her, but the imminent and pressing issue before her must be dealt with right away, and truthfully she doesn't want anyone to know about this… running away.

No, _no._ It's not running away. Serena runs away. This… is a temporary escape.

"Blair, are you ready?"

She whisks around and sees him standing in her doorway, hesitantly leaning against its frame. Her lips turn up and she simply gives a nod, his presence having rendered her speechless. She zips her suitcase and grabs the handle, making her way over to him. She falters slightly under the weight of all of her belongings, and he hurries over to her, grabbing the suitcase in one hand and taking hers in the other.

She laces her fingers in his and they hurry out the door.

* * *

><p><em>Earlier that month…<em>

She felt nothing. She made that very clear to him after they kissed. And it hurt - her being the one to admit to her feelings first. Because then he had to lie and act like he didn't feel anything, which was quite the contrary.

There was a spark. He doesn't know if she was just afraid to admit it or if she really didn't have a single ounce of attraction to him in her body.

He stares at the television screen blankly, absentmindedly dusting the items in his living room. He doesn't even notice as Eric stands on the other side of the TV, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume.

"This is the first time I've seen you pass up a chance to save Serena."

He jumps, finally recognizing Eric's presence. He takes note that Eric is referring to the news, and he watches as Serena maneuvers her way around the paparazzi, the headline at the bottom of the screen reading "Van der Woodsen Scandal."

He grabs the remote from his stepbrother and switches the TV off. "If you haven't noticed, I've been a bit preoccupied lately."

"Actually, I have." Eric leans back against an arm chair. "You've _have _seemed rather aloof. What's the deal?"

He sighs, not knowing whether to tell Eric or not. The guy can keep a secret, he knows that much. And he _will_ probably be the least judgmental in this situation. "You swear not to tell anyone? Or laugh?"

"Uh, I'll take your secret to my grave, but laughter is an uncontrollable bodily response." Eric says, smirking and crossing his arms across his chest.

He looks at his stepbrother in all seriousness. "I kissed Blair Waldorf."

Eric snorts and starts to laugh. "Wow, I didn't see that coming!"

"It's actually really not that funny." he says, though he can't help but smile as well.

"Wait…" Eric stands up straight. "Do you like her?"

He pauses before giving an answer. "No, man. Come on. This is Blair we're talking about here."

"That wasn't very convincing." Eric says, shaking his head. "You've been ignoring Serena, you slip off onto these furtive rendezvous and no one knows where you're going, and you actually _kissed _Blair, so you can't tell me there's nothing going on."

He rubs his chin, frowning. "I've been hanging out with her in secret since winter break, but the kiss was to prove that there's nothing going on… romantically, anyway. And… it worked."

"And now what? Blair's just your _buddy_ now?"

"I guess so."

He doesn't tell Eric that Blair hasn't talked to him in a week. (Nor does he tell him that her absence has been depressing the hell out of him.)

* * *

><p>"DOROTA!"<p>

She sits up in her bed, waving her bell back and forth until Dorota eventually comes to her aid, a platter of truffles and danishes in hand.

"Miss. Blair, I thought you were on detox?" Dorota says, breathing heavily from having to make frequent rounds up and down the stairs. "All this chocolate cannot be good for-"

"Ah, shush!" she says, holding a finger up to her mouth. Dorota falls silent immediately. "I _need _this in my life right now. It's not a personal choice of diet. My body isn't allowing me any other option." She takes the tray of sweets off her housekeeper's hands and pops a whole truffle into her mouth, chewing enthusiastically.

"Oh, is it Miss. Blair's time of the month again?" Dorota asks, nodding her head knowingly.

"Dorota!" Bits of chocolate spew from her mouth as she reprimands her. "Actually, it is _not._ If you must know, I haven't been feeling very social or happy lately, and food therapy is the only thing helping me get by."

"Well that is because affair with Lonely Boy has ended." Dorota says matter-of-factly.

She glares, leaning across her bed and turning Dorota around to face the door. "Go make me a kettle of hot vanilla tea with honey and milk. I need _something _to help me wash this chocolate down!"

"But-"

"Go!" She shoos her away and grabs another truffle, sinking her teeth into it with such vigor that she bites her tongue.

10 minutes later, Dorota bursts through her bedroom door without anything to show her progress in tea-brewing.

"Um, where is my kettle?" she asks impatiently, crossing her arms.

"Miss. Blair, there is no time for tea! Get out of bed and get pretty!" Dorota flings her covers and sheets off the bed and forces her to stand up.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Prince has come to see you! He even brought missing shoe!" Dorota practically drags her to her closet.

Prince? Missing shoe?Dorota must really be losing it. But then it hits her.

_Prince Louis._

* * *

><p>She calls him one week, 13 hours, and 34 minutes after their kiss. (Not that he's been keeping track.) He tries not to act entirely desperate and waits for his phone to vibrate at least four times before answering.<p>

"Well, well, well, finally decided to talk to me, huh?" he says teasingly, grinning to himself.

"The prince of France has come to New York City." she states blankly on the other end.

_Okay._ He's more than a little confused. "Um, thanks for the fun fact of the day, Waldorf. Is that supposed to be some sort of cryptic code for something? 'The duchess of Russia has landed in Brooklyn!'" He missed their banter, but he might be going a bit overboard with his sardonic tone.

"No! _No._" Hears her sigh into the phone. "I'm telling you this because you're the only person I can trust at the moment. The prince of France has come to New York City for _me."_

"Excuse me, what?"

"Last summer I met Louis while I was in Paris. We courted for a while but decided to part ways. I gave him my shoe and told me he could always come find me in the future – I know it's cheesy and cliché, don't you dare say anything – and now he's come here. For me." She says this all in one breath.

"What?" he asks again, his mind reeling.

"Humphrey, _try_ to keep up with me here! Louis, the prince of France has come to New York City to court me."

He pauses for a minute, trying to digest this new and slightly riveting bit of information. "So what are you going to do?" Oh god, that was a stupid question. He's a _prince, _and Blair has always been attracted to the rich half of the population. Of course she's going to go for it. His heart sinks in his chest.

"This… is where I need your help." Blair says hesitantly, and he furrows his eyebrows, more confused than ever.

"_My _help?"

"His parents don't exactly approve of their son coming all the way to America to be with a commoner when there are plenty of noblewomen in France for him to woo."

"So… how exactly do I fit into this equation?" he asks, still not getting the purpose of this conversation other than the fact that it's bringing him closer to the brink of insanity.

"You can lead them off the scent."

"I beg your pardon?"

"If you come with me to the Pink Party and kiss me, Louis' butler will see us and report back to the family that _we're _a couple and nothing is going on between Louis and me."

He considers this for a moment. "You mean I'm a cover."

"Yes." she says resolutely, and _wow, _doesn't that make him feel great!

"Blair…" He denied feelings for her after their kiss. He knows that she thinks they're just friends because of this. He can't blame her; it's not like she 'moved on' from him when there was nothing romantic to begin with. But his expectations for this conversation were far different than her calling to tell him that she has a new man in her life.

"Come on, Humphrey." she pleads.

"I don't know about this." He doesn't want to fall further into her clutches. He already has feelings for her, but he either wanted her to return his affections or slowly will himself to get over her. _This_ can only make things worse.

"Please, Dan. _Please."_

All it takes is for her to call him by his first name. "Fine." he agrees, begrudgingly. At least he'll get to kiss her one last time.

* * *

><p>He's not one to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but he finds himself drinking excessive amounts of caffeine to lighten the blow of having an epiphany about feelings for Blair Waldorf. He sits in his favorite deli, sipping a coffee and just <em>exuding<em> a melancholy air.

He looks up and - what do you know – Blair herself comes stomping into the shop wearing a ridiculous pair of high-heels and a coat that is far too expensive in taste for this side of the Brooklyn Bridge. If he was in a better mood, he'd make a crack about her just asking to be mugged.

"Humphrey, what are you doing?" she says harshly, taking a seat next to him. "Louis is coming to meet me, and no one can see me here! You _do_ realize that Gossip Girl is keeping tabs on both of us?"

"She's preoccupied with Lily's verdict right now. We're fine." he says wearily, taking a sip of his coffee. It's the first time he's seen her since they've kissed, and he's not exactly thrilled that their encounter is an unpleasant one.

"That doesn't mean she didn't rule us off the list of candidates to post about on her website!" Blair sighs, looking at him as if he's the most incompetent human being on the planet. "Lonely Boy and Queen B together is a juicy secret, and she's not going toss this rumor in the trash. But if she finds out why I'm _really _here, she will expose my royal relationship! You have to leave!"

She gives him a small nudge in the direction of the exit and he looks at her, shaking his head in awe. "Blair, can we just-"

"Oh, look, Louis is here!" She stands up, ignoring him and looking towards the back wall where the prince is standing. She hurries over to him, a smile planted on her face.

He watches her kiss Louis, his heart sinking in his chest. He knows then. He knows these aren't just feelings of lust. He really _likes_ Blair Waldorf. This feeling of utter jealousy and disappointment proves it. He turns away from her, slaps five bucks down on the counter and hurries out of the deli.

* * *

><p>The Pink Party is a complete disaster. They manage to lead <em>someone <em>off the scent, but not exactly the person they expected. Charlie, Serena's cousin, catches them locked in an embrace and is quick to extract her cell phone, sending Serena a_ lovely_ little video message to prove it.

"Tell me this – are you hanging out with him to spite me? Only a few months ago you told me you hated him! This cannot be a real relationship."

She stands across the room as her best friend yells at her. She's tried multiple times to explain that Humphrey was merely a cover so that her relationship with Louis would go unexposed, but S is having none of it. She finally decides enough is enough.

"Not everything is about you, Serena! Dan and I have a _real _connection."

"That is until the prince came along." The blonde says snidely, crossing her arms. "You're going to hurt him just like every other person in your life."

Her jaw drops. She can hardly believe the hypocrisy spouting from Serena's lips. "Dan _agreed _to do this with me! He _knows _there's nothing between us!" She's practically shouting now, but she doesn't care. "_You, _on the other hand, string him along until there's nothing left. Do you know how many times you've let him down or used him? He's been nothing but loyal and good to you, and you walk all over him like you _own _him! He deserves better. Way better! So don't you dare accuse me of hurting my _friend,_ Dan, when you're the one who stomps on his heart in your hideous, hooker stilettos practically every day!"

She storms out of the room before Serena can think of a rebuttal. At the end of the day, Serena ends up tattling on Blair for secretly seeing Humphrey for months. Louis takes the news to heart, but she reassures him that she was only using Dan as a distraction so that the royal family would not find out about them.

Louis, seeing her distressed, decides that if they are going to be together, then he must eventually face his parents. He courageously pulls her out the door, takes her hand, and kisses her passionately in front of the paparazzi.

* * *

><p>He gets the blast about Blair on his phone only moments after it happens.<p>

_It seems the prince has found a matching foot for that misplaced shoe, and B is putting a whole new spin on the phrase 'French Kiss.' Imagine going from loneliness to luxury in only one night. But will this bliss be short-lived when the rest of the family finds out? XOXO – Gossip Girl_

"You really like her, don't you?" He looks up, startled, and sees Charlie staring intently at his shaking hand holding his cell.

He sighs. "Sort of. Maybe. It's complicated."

"I'm sorry I ratted you out earlier. Serena wanted me to-"

"No need to apologize." he cuts her off. "Better people have fallen into the scandal that is the Upper East Side. You were just doing what your cousin wanted you to do."

She sits down across from him, folding her hands in her lap. "Still, I was following her lead like a lost sheep. It didn't even cross my mind that you or Blair might get hurt from what I did."

"Blair's fine. More than fine, actually, if you haven't noticed." He holds up his phone with the picture of Louis and Blair kissing so that Charlie can see it properly. He drops his hand to his side after a few seconds, dejected. "Me, not so much. Seeing this picture really doesn't help when-"

"Oh my god. You _love _her!" Charlie interrupts him, bringing her hands up to her mouth in shocking revelation.

"No! No. It's not like that." He protests. "We've only kissed twice. And one of those was a decoy, so that doesn't even count. You can't fall in love with someone after one kiss."

"Who says?" Charlie raises her eyebrows. "Is there some kind of written law about when you're supposed to fall in love?"

He thinks about it for a moment, thinks about when he was younger and so convinced that he was in love with Serena after only seeing her once. "No, but…" His sentence trails off.

"But?"

"I just never thought the person that I want would be Blair Waldorf." he admits. (Finally.)

"Maybe your idea of a happy ending has changed." Charlie suggests, and normally this would sound really plausible to him, but the image of Louis and Blair is still burning in his brain, so he shoots her down.

"I don't believe in happy endings. Not anymore."

"Are you sure you aren't just disappointed because you're the pauper in this fairy tale?" she smiles, tilting her head to the side.

"Haha, very funny." He allows himself to give a small smirk. "Maybe I'm the frog that the princess kissed. She just hasn't realized that I've transformed into a prince yet."

"Hey, I happen to _like _paupers." Charlie nudges his arm with her elbow flirtatiously, and suddenly things get very uncomfortable for him.

He stands up, clearing his throat. "Listen, Charlie, I have to go. It's getting pretty late and I have a huge essay due tomorrow."

"I understand." She seems a bit disappointed, but raises her head anyway, meeting his gaze. "See you later?"

"Uh. Yeah."

He's never exited a room more quickly in his life.

* * *

><p>One week later he gets yet another godforsaken text that only intensifies his suffering.<p>

_Louis is having a party tonight and we're going public – officially. You're invited if you'd like to come. Thanks for all of your help, Humphrey. And sorry for all of the drama._

He shuts his phone, placing his face in his hands. Of course he knows this already. He's seen the pictures and the news. All over _Gossip Girl_. All over the internet. The paparazzi got their fair share of shots, and Blair and Louis have been putting on _quite_ the show.

But for some reason, her text really gets to him. _Sorry for all the drama. _Ha, yeah. He laughs out loud and it's almost manic. Little does she know about the inner turmoil she's putting him through. It wasn't exactly the _easiest _thing in the world to admit to himself that he has feelings for Blair Waldorf, but he finally did. Harder still was to be a pawn in her relationship with Louis and allow himself to kiss her again, furthering those said feelings. And then to figure out that he truly likes her and can't do anything about it?

His mind is reeling. He needs a distraction. He reaches for his phone and immediately scrolls to the 'C' contacts, dialing the first number.

"Hello?"

"Charlie, hey! Do you want to come over?"

30 minutes later, he's making out with his step-cousin on the couch.

"I'm sorry… if I'm not very good at this… I'm not so experienced." she says breathlessly between kisses, and he's painfully reminded of his first (almost) time with Serena. He doesn't say anything in response. He merely pushes himself against her and continues to tease her lips in hopes that she will flush all other thoughts from his mind. He doesn't want to think about Serena. He doesn't want to think about Blair…

_Blair. _

Isn't she the reason he's doing this in the first place? Because she's probably off at her party right now, mingling with royalty. With Prince Louis.

He shakes her out of his brain and continues to kiss Charlie. Which is _all_ that seems to be happening. Kissing. He thinks Charlie doesn't really get how this is supposed to progress, so he breaks from her temporarily to lift his shirt up over his head and toss it on the ground.

"Oh." Charlie moves her hands across his chest and he captures her lips with his again. One of his hands weaves into her hair and he feels the headband in her hair.

_Blair. _

He moves to Charlie's neck and sucks, hard. She giggles and his fingers find the bottom of her dress. His hand inches up her thigh and scratches against the roughness of her stockings.

_Blair. Blair. Blair._

Everything reminds him of her, and _shit_, he knows this isn't right and there's no way he can possibly go through with this. He steps away from Charlie, his hands leaving her and coming to rest stiffly at his sides.

"I can't… I'm sorry." is all he manages to spit out, and Charlie stares at him a moment before hanging her head, a small, sad smile on her face.

"Blair?" It comes out as a statement rather than a question, and all he can do is nod his head. "I knew it." Charlie continues. "You love her."

This time he doesn't deny it.

* * *

><p>She sits in one of the lounges with Louis, her hands intertwined in his. They have already made their grand entrance to the party, but she has not been thoroughly interviewed by Louis' mother yet. She expresses her anxiety about the situation, and he's been nothing but supportive towards her… until now. He has taken her aside for what seems like an intense Q&amp;A session where only he's allowed to ask the questions.<p>

She thinks he's merely preparing her for when it's the queen's time to ask questions, but the conversation begins to steer in a different direction.

"If you were chosen, would you be giving your whole heart to me?" he asks seriously, and his hands suddenly feel cold in hers.

"If I was chosen?" she questions. _Does that mean that a proposal is imminent?_

"I know you saw Chuck. Twice." Louis says forebodingly. He stands up, letting her hands fall from his. "You have your own dark side."

_The first time she saw Chuck, it was to tell him about Louis. She figured that he had already seen the Gossip Girl posts about her relationship, but she wanted to tell him in person. She felt she owed him that much. _

_He wouldn't pick up his phone, so she contacted Nate and asked him where she would be able to find him. He reluctantly gave her the address of the hotel Chuck was staying in and warned her that he might be a bit rowdy because of his drinking. _

_If anyone could control a drunken Chuck, it was her. She assured Nate of this fact and found her old love holed up in his room in a bathrobe with a sherry bottle in hand. _

_She could smell cigarettes and alcohol lingering in the air, and she wrinkled her nose, stepping over a dirty towel as she entered the room. _

"_Chuck." she said, and he looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot, his face unshaven and unkempt. _

"_What the hell do you want? Shouldn't you be off with your prince?" he spat out, brandishing his sherry with dramatics._

"_I came here to talk to you about him." She willed herself to enter the dimly lit room further, approaching him with caution. "I don't want to lead you on anymore, Chuck. Louis and I are together now, and I just wanted to be the one to tell you."_

"_Yeah, well you're too damn late. Gossip Girl took the liberty of doing that job __**for **__you." _

"_Chuck…" she started gently, reaching for him, but he cut her off._

"_Don't come near me!" In his inebriated rage, he took the sherry bottle and flung it against the wall, pieces of glass shattering everywhere. She shrieked in pain as a shard of glass went flying into her leg. She winced, glaring at Chuck in anger._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" she screamed, tears welling in her eyes as she clutched her leg in pain. Chuck only then seemed to realize exactly what he did._

"_Blair, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I-"_

"_Clean yourself up and get your act back together!" she yelled over his apologetic pleas, truly furious and disappointed in him. "People love you, Chuck, and all you do is hurt them! You need to grow up and evaluate your choices. If I __**ever **__leave Louis, I won't take you back until you can take care of yourself! _

_She turned and limped out of the room, ignoring Chuck's protests and telling her driver to hurry to the emergency room to get her leg checked out._

She touches the spot on her leg where the piece of glass hit her. She didn't tell anyone about the incident, not wanting to stir up trouble. Louis would surely be furious, and Dan… even more so. She knows that Chuck was under the influence and never intended to hurt her. Despite everything he has done to her, she still has love for him, and she cannot bring herself to hate him.

"I want _you!"_ she tells Louis, grabbing his hands in hers once more and pulling him back down to sit on the couch. "Not Chuck. Not anyone else but you."

Dan's face flashes in her mind and she shakes her head, thinking back to the second incident when she saw Chuck.

_This time she had no intentions of going to look for Chuck. He went looking for her. _

_She stood on the roof of Hotel Gansevoort after Louis announced that his parents were coming to meet her. She stared at the cityscape, allowing herself room to breathe as she digested this new bit of information. _

_Things had gotten serious between the two of them, and if he was inviting his parents to fly across the world to meet him, there was surely a promise of a proposal in the future. That's what Gossip Girl thought, at least._

_She jumped as a familiar voice called out her name behind her._

"_Blair."_

_She whipped around and found Chuck standing there, adorned in a suit and bowtie, looking much more put together than he had a few weeks prior._

"_What are you doing here?" she asked, her lips turning down in a frown._

"_I came to see you. To apologize."_

"_Apology accepted. Now can you let me get on with my life?" _

"_No. I am a part of your life, Blair, and I always will be."_

_She rolled her eyes in frustration as Chuck put a hand on her shoulder._

"_Please don't do this to me. I've found someone. If you really care about me, you will let me be with him." She shoved past him, hurrying to the exit but stopping in her tracks when she heard him speak again._

"_If you think I'm going to go down without a fight, you're crazy." he said, his voice deep, unwavering. "I still love you."_

_A tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed it away angrily. "We're done." she said, never turning back to look at him._

"Louis!" Louis' mother flings open the doors to the room, interrupting her thoughts. She looks frantic. "Someone is here to see Miss. Waldorf. He is claiming to be the love of her life." The queen glares daggers into her eyes.

"Who?" Louis asks, standing up and looking between her and his mother, his nostrils flaring. But she already knows the answer.

The queen opens her mouth to speak, but someone saunters into the room from behind her, cutting her off.

Louis spits the name of the trespasser out like venom.

"_Chuck."_

* * *

><p>He lies in his bed, wearing a suit. He pats the lump in his jacket pocket and stares up the ceiling, contemplating whether or not he should go to Blair's party. On one hand, he was invited, but on the other, he doesn't want to put himself through the torture of having to see her with another man. He wonders what kind of man he is – feeling sorry for himself and sulking about rather than fighting for the woman he loves. But then he reminds himself that this woman is Blair Waldorf, so the circumstances are far from normal.<p>

He groans, rolling out of bed after deciding he should at least get something in his stomach. It feels like he hasn't eaten in days. Maybe he hasn't… _Pathetic. _So pathetic that he's getting love-sick over Blair, of all people.

Why does he love her, anyway? So, she's beautiful, yes, but so are a lot of venomous, evil women. She's intelligent. Witty. Classy. Despite constant protests, they have a lot in common. She can hold her own in a conversation. She's actually hilarious in lots of ways. He loves the way she looks at him. He loves her smile, her lips. He loves it when she comes to him and lets her guard down.

By the time his two pieces of bread have toasted and he's tried to convince himself that he isn't completely head-over-heels, he has a wide smile on his face just thinking about her, and he realizes he's screwed.

And by the time he finishes buttering one piece of his toast, he is guilty and feeling like a real douche for even asking Charlie to come over in the first place. Even though he knows he has free reign to do anything (or anyone) he wants, he still feels like his faithfulness and devotion belongs to Blair. _Yep._ Totally screwed.

When he's done spreading jam on the other slice of bread, he knows he has to let her go. He's not Chuck Bass. He's not going to play games with her and confuse her. She has no feelings for him, right? So why chase after her and complicate things? That would be selfish and foolish. If she's happy with the prince, that's all that matters.

He takes one bite of his toast and his phone vibrates in his pocket. He nearly chokes on his bite when he sees who the text is from. _Blair._ He flips the phone open and urgently reads her message.

_Dan, can you come to the penthouse? I need you._

She_ needs_ him. He doesn't know what for. He doesn't know why. For all he knows, she could _need_ him to make her a batch of waffles. _Or_ she could be in trouble. He tries not to think about the latter.

All he knows is that one moment she's consuming his mind, and the next he gets a text from her telling him that she needs him. _Say life is giving you signs…_

He texts back a hasty reply, his fingers fumbling over the keys.

_I'll be right there. Everything okay?_

He's already out the door and hailing a cab when he gets her response.

_I don't really know at this point. I just need you._

He pats his jacket pocket for reassurance, hops in the cab, gives the driver her address, and types back –

_I'm on my way, Blair. Don't worry._

* * *

><p>She stands with her back pressed up against her kitchen counter, her hands playing with her dress, her make-up smudged and her hair falling in messy curls out of her once-neat updo.<p>

She doesn't even have the light on, and she's the only person home. Her heart beats wildly in her chest as she anticipates Dan's arrival. It's not long before she hears the sound of the door opening and Dan's uneven, hurried footsteps as he rushes to find her.

"Blair?" he calls out, concern written in his voice.

"In here!" she yells, and the next second he's before her, and she hastily crosses her hands behind her back, obscuring them from view.

"Nothing else can surprise me tonight. I've already been proposed to. Practically twice."

"Practically? What's that supposed to mean?" He quirks an eyebrow at her, his eyes flickering briefly to the left hand she's still deviously concealing.

"Louis didn't propose." she says breathlessly. "He was going to… but Chuck got to me first."

"Got to you?" His voice cracks, giving away the emotion he's trying to desperately to mask.

"He crashed the party to propose to me." She smirks. "And when Louis saw me hesitate to give an answer, he decided we were done. He said that if he didn't have my whole heart, he didn't want me."

"You don't seem too devastated."

She shrugs her shoulders. She's _not_ too devastated, that's the thing. At first she felt her whole world was falling apart. When Louis told her he didn't want to be with her, she couldn't even breathe. But then she allowed herself to clear her head, and she realized that things weren't over. And the sight of Dan put her almost completely at ease.

"So… Chuck… did you?" Dan can't seem to form a coherent sentence, but she knows what he's asking.

She decides she's through with teasing him and she withdraws her hand from behind her back, waving it in view of his eyes. "No ring." she says simply. "I didn't accept."

She watches him swallow, watches his lips form a tight 'O' as he breathes a subtle sigh of relief. "Why not?"

"I used to think Chuck and I were inevitable. Chuck and Blair. Blair and Chuck. But I came to realize that I don't belong to him." She takes a deep breath before continuing. "A wise man once told me that I deserve to be with someone who makes me happy." She looks up at him, smiling slightly. "I remember a time when Chuck Bass was the _only_ thing that made me happy, but instances and experiences change people, and this is no longer the case."

"_Wise man_, huh, Waldorf?" He winks at her, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

"Don't flatter yourself, Humphrey. It was a onetime occurrence where you just so happened to be correct."

"Ah, yes, but your comment implied that I have been and will continue to be wise."

She merely rolls her eyes in response to his argument. There is a bout of silence before he speaks up.

"If I asked you to marry _me_, what would your answer be?" He laughs, but she knows he could very well be serious. His eyes betray his lips.

"Do it properly." she challenges.

He's taken aback for a moment, but then he's bending down on one knee and extracting something from his jacket pocket. She furrows her eyebrows, instinctively withdrawing from his gesture, but she's backed up against the counter and has nowhere to go. He isn't… _he_ _can't be._

Her hands fly to her mouth as he opens a small black box and she sees a decent-sized diamond tucked neatly into folds of velvet.

And she didn't think anything else could surprise her tonight.

"Where-" she starts, but he cuts her off.

"Shh." he says softly, his eyes searching hers. "Don't ask me how much it cost or where I bought it… Just know that when I had a sliver of hope about our relationship, I went to the jeweler's and bought a ring just in case. I care about you and what happens to you. God, Blair, why do you think I came over here? As soon as I heard you needed me, I jumped in a taxi and ran from my stop all the way here just to help you. Because I love you. I love you, Blair Waldorf… as weird and abnormal as that sounds, it _feels_ right. And this may be irrational and totally inappropriate, but I want to be with you. I want to make you laugh. I want to be the one that makes you happy. I want to hold your hand and comfort you when you cry. I want to bicker and quarrel with you until I go hoarse. I want _you._"

"Dan…" she whispers, her eyes flooding with tears. Her knees go weak and she can feel her demeanor faltering, so she kneels down, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him full on the mouth. The third time. It's only the third time she's kissed him, and yet he's in her kitchen, proposing. Proposing and telling her he loves her. And how does she react to this completely foolish, unreasonable behaviour? _She kisses him!_

She smiles against his lips when he wraps his arms around her and pulls her into his lap on the floor. This is insane. But she _loves _it. Her head spins in a rush of passion and adrenaline.

Eventually she pulls away, one hand still around his neck as she brings the other to gently wipe her lip gloss from his pink, pouty lips. They both laugh and she rests her forehead against his. And at last she knows who she wants. _Real love. Pure and simple love. _"Yes." she says simply and softly, finally giving an answer to his proposal.

"Yes?" he repeats, confirming what she said. She nods, and he brushes the tears from her cheeks and then leans in to kiss her tenderly. When he pulls away, he places the diamond on her ring finger. He brings her to her feet and holds her close which she is grateful for. She doesn't know if she has enough strength to stand on her own at this point in time.

"Let's go to France." she whispers in his ear. She pulls back to look at him and he stares at her quizzically. She brings her hand up to stroke his cheek. "Let's get away, just for the summer. I'm sure my dad and Roman would _love_ to meet my fiancé."

"Okay." he smiles down at her. "Okay, yeah, anything you want."

"Now." she tells him anxiously. "We'll take the next flight there."

"Alright." He presses her even closer to him, his hands wrapped around her back protectively.

She laughs. "But you're going to have to let go of me so that we can pack."

"Right." He steps away but grabs her hand, not ever leaving contact with her. "I'll go back to the loft and pack. I'll meet you back here when I'm done." He kisses her one last time before reluctantly letting go of her and heading to the door.

"Don't take too long, Humphrey." She calls out, hugging her arms to her chest.

He turns and faces her. "Trust me, I going to want to get back to you as soon as possible." She smiles, an overwhelming sense of love and happiness flowing through her. As soon as he's gone, she hurries up the stairs to her room to call her dad and get ready to leave.

"_Daddy? It's me, Blair. I'm taking the next flight to France, and I'm coming to visit you and Roman this summer. And I have some news. Daddy… I'm engaged."_


End file.
